Foundation garment



M. LAGUzzl 3,004,538

FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheetl 1 Oct. 17, 1961 Filed Nov. 4, 1959 INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Oct. 17, 1961 M. LAGUzzl FOUNDATION GARMENT 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1959 INVENTOR.

atm @fice Patented oef. 17, 1961 3,004,538 FOUNDATION GARMENT Mario Laguzzi, New York, NX., assigner to Poirette Corsets,.lnc., New York, N.Y.

Filed Nov. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 850,817 Claims. (Cl. 12S-546) vThis invention relates to a foundation garment, and rmore particularly to such a foundation garment as a girdle orpanty girdle adapted forwomens wear.

AV primary object of this invention is the provision of an improved foundation garment of this character characterized by reinforcing means at the points normally susceptible to the greatest stress, such reinforcement being eifected by the suitable reverting of sections of the garment at such points, and stitching the reverted portions together.

An additional important object of the invention is the provision of such a garment wherein the stretch is normally one way, but wherein the reverted portions are reverted at an angle so that the wales thereof, and the consequent stretch extend in a direction angularly disposed relative to the direction of the extent of the wales of the main body portion of the garment. It is recognized that in this art, it is of extreme importance that a garment of the kind herein disclosed shall Abe of as few parts as are necessary to accomplish the desired results of shaping and holding the desired predetermined contours of the wearers ligure and that it is most especially important that the garment have the necessary strength and reinforcements in those areas of greatest stress and strain during body motions of the wearer. In the present invention, these desired objects have been fully accomplished.

A `A further object of the invention is the provision of such a garment which may be manufactured from a minimum of parts and with a minimum of effort and diiculty, but which will, at the same time, provide adequate reinforcelment for the average figure, with additional reinforcement, as Yabove set forth, at the points normally subject to the greatest stress.

'AStill other objects reside in the combinations of elements, arrangements of parts, and features of construction, all as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and disclosed in the accompanying drawings wherein there is lshown a preferred embodiment of this inventive concept.

In the drawings:

i FIGURE l is a front plan view of one form of foundation garment embodying elements of the instant invention;

FIGURE 2 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 2-2 of FIGURE l, as viewed in the direction as indicated by the arrows;

p FIGURE 3 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows;

FIGURE 4 is a rear elevational view of the garment of FIGURE' 1;

FIGURE 5 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 4; and

FIGURE 6 is an enlarged sectional view taken substantially along the line 6 6 of FIGURE 4, as viewed in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout theseveral views of the drawings.

Having reference now to the drawings in detail, the foundation garment of the instant invention, generally indicated at 9, is illustrated as a conventional girdle, although it will be readily understood that the principles of this invention may be `applied to the panty girdle, or"v one-piece garment, or the like, if desired. The girdle consists of a pair of complementary front sections lil and 11, of polygonal or other desired shape, with their upper portions converging inwardly. To these upper portions are secured opposed complementary side panel sections 12 and 13, respectively. The portions 10 and 11 are of any suitable elastic or inelastic material, while the upper side panels 12 and 13 are of elastic material, which may be of two-way stretch material or of one-way stretch in a horizontal direction. Suitably secured to the upper panels 12 and 13 are lower side hip control panels `14 and 1'5, respectively, which in turn are secured to the lower portions of panels 10 and 11. The means of securing the several portions together will be discussed more fully hereinafter and in part comprise the chief essentials of the instant invention.

The side panels 12, 13, 14 and 15 extend completely around the sides of the garment integrally, and the panels l2 and 13 are secured to a central back panel 16, which, in turn, is secured at its lower portion to the V-shaped apex 17 of an inelastic back panel 18. Side portions 12 and 14 are secured together along a diagonal line 20 and side portions 13 and 1'5 are secured together along a diagonal line 21, as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter.

The complementary front portions y10 and 11 and the lower portions of side panels 14 and 15 are secured together at the front by multiple lines of zig-zag stitching, reinforced as may befdesired, as indicated at 22. The garment is finished in the customary fashion by an upper band 23 and a lower band 24, preferably of the same material as the adjacent panels, and reinforced by lines of reinforcing stitching 25 and 26, respectively. Suitable garter tabs 27, or the like, are secured to the lower part of the garment in conventional manner.

Similarly, portions 10 and 11 are stitched in the conventional manner to the adjacent parts of panels 12 and 14, and 13 and 15, and the panel 18 is similarly secured by stitching to the panels 12 and 14 and 13 and 115 at the rear of the garment. p

Each of panels 14 and 15 may be either integral, or may be comprised of front and rear portions which are strongly reinforced and stitched together along the side edges thereof in a conventional manner, as may panels 12 and 13. The conventional zipperclosure fastener arrangement, as indicated at 28, is provided on one side of the garment, and forms no part of the instant invention.

As previously pointed out, panels 12 and 14 and panels 13 and 15 are preferably comprised of one-way stretch material. As best shown in FIGURES 2 and 3, the wales 12 and 14 and the wales 13 and 15" of the respective portions normally extend in a vertical direction in such manner that the stretch of the garment is lateral rather than longitudinal. In order to accomplish thev instant invention relatively wide margins of each of the portions 12, 13, 14 and 15 are in-turned angularly, as indicated at 12a, 14a, 13a and 15a, respectively. These margins are diagonally disposed relative to the divisional lines between adjacent parts, and the reverted portions 12a, 13a, 14a and 15a are so disposed that the wales which are respectively indicated at 12, 13, 14", and 1 l" are disposed at an acute angle to the wales of the corresponding main portion of their associated segments. By virtue `of this arrangement, the stretch of the garment is modified so that in addition to the double reinforcing thicknessV so provided there is also provided a longitudinal aswell as a lateral stretch in the areas where basic stress is exerted on the garment. Suitable lines of zig-zag stitching 12b, 13b, 14b and 15b secure the reverted portions of the respective panels to the main body of the garment, and relatively heavy intermediate stitching, as indicated at 30 and 31, secures the panels 12 and 14rand the panels 13 and 15, respectively, together.

As initially cut the panels 14 and 15 are substantially rectangular, so that the reverted portions, when turned back along the angularly disposed connecting line 20 and 21, the part of the reverted portion nearest the lower front part of the garment is substantially thicker than the upper side portion. In other words, by virtue of this arrangement maximum reinforcement is provided at the points of greatest stress,

In the case of the rear portion of the garment, sections Y of the garment are reverted, as indicated, respectively at 121C, 13C, 1`4c and 15e, with their respective wales disposed diagonally as in the previously discussed arrangement of the front side of the garment. Connection is effected by means of relatively heavy stitching 21a and a between the sections 13 and 15 and the sections 12 and 14, respectively.

The rear portions of the Vpanels which are reverted areV similarly secured to the main body portion by means of zig-zag stitching similar vto Vthe Varrangement discussed in connection with the Yfront of the garment.

By virtue of the above-described reversions of the confronting edges of upper and lower sidepanels so arranged that the direction of the wales of the reverted portion extends angularly relative to the direction of the wales of the main body, it will be seen that there is produced a maximum reinforcement with a maximum stretch capacity with a minimum of material ,and machining operations, and that the garment can, therefore, be produced relatively inexpensively and will, at the same time, provide a maximum of support vand comfort as may be desired. "Obviously, suitable pockets may be provided for stays, or the like, at desired positions inthe garment.

By virtue of the angularly disposed reinforcingV sec tion midway between the upper and lower portions of the garment, there is provided an increased resistance at .this point which provides a more firm hip control to prevent unsightly bulging at 'the point of greatest stress.

While there are herein shown only upper and lower panels 'for both the front and rear of the garment, secured together in accordance with the instant invention, it will be understood that any desired number of intermediate panels similarly secured may be employed on each side of the garment, and the improved securing means of the present invention may be utilized on the front of `the garment only, or on the rear of the garment only, as desired.

From the foregoing it willl now be seen that there is herein provided an improved foundation garment which accomplishes all of the objects of vthis invention, and others, including many advantages" of great practical utility and commercial importance.

l .As many embodiments maybe made of the inventive concept, and as many modications may be made in the embodiment hereinbefore shown and described, it is `to be understood that all matter herein is Ato be interpreted merely as illustrative, and not in a limiting sense.

'IY claim:

l. -In Aa foundation garment the combination of front and rear panels, and elastic side panels secured between said front and rear panels, said side panels comprising upper and vlower portions having confronting edges, said upper andlower portions .having wales normally extending lina vertical position to provide one-way stretch laterally, lthe' confronting edges of said upper and lower portions being reverted angularly to form substantially triangular reinforcing portions at the position of greatest strain on the garment with the wales of the reverted portions `extending angularly relative to the Wales of 'the ,main body portions `to provide restraint 'in a direction at an angle to the restraint provided by the transverse stretch of the wales ofthe upper and lower portions, and means securing said upper and lower reverted portions together along their edges.

2. In a foundation garment the combination of front and rear panels, and elastic side panels secured between ksaid front and rear panels, said side panels comprising upper yand lower portions havingconfronting edges, the

wales of said upper and lower portions normally extending in a vertical position, the yconfronting edges Vof said upper and lower portions being reverted angularly to form substantially triangular reinforcing portions at the position of greatest strainon the garment with the wales of the Areverted portions extending `angularly relative to the wales of the main body portions'to provide restraint in different directions, and means securing said upper and lower reverted portions together Valong their edges, said last mentioned means comprising stitching. 3. In a foundation garment the combination Vof front and rear panels, and elastic side ipanels vsecured between said front and rear panels, 'said side Apanels comprising upper and lower portions having confront edges, the wales of said upper and lower portions normally extending in a vertical position, the confronting edges of said upper and lower portions being reverted angularly to form substantially triangular rreinforcing portions at the position of greatest strain on the garment with the wales of the reverted portions extending angularly lrelative to the wales of the main body portions to `provide restraint in different directions, and Ameans securing said upper and lower reverted portions together along their edges, said last mentioned means comprising stitching, said reverted portions being stitched along their edges to the main body portions.

4. -In a foundation garment the combination of front and rear panels, and elastic side panels secured between said front and rear panels, said side panels comprising upper and lower portions having confronting edges, the wales of said upper and lower portions normally extending in a vertical position, the confronting edges of said upper and lower portions being reverted angularly to form substantially triangular reinforcing portions at the position of greatest strain on .the garment `'with the wales of the reverted portions extending angularly relative to the wales of lthe main body portions to provide restraint in different directions, andmeans securing said upper and lower reverted portions 'together lalong their edges, said llast mentioned means comprising stitching, said reverted portions being Vstitched along their edges to the man body portions by stitching, the intersecting portions of the upper and lower side Apanels being disposed at an acute angle relative to the connection of said side panels .to said front and rear panels. V

5. ln la foundation ,garment the combination of front and rear panels, and elastic sidepanels secured between said front and rear panels, -said side panels comprising upper and lower portions Vhaving confronting edges, the wales of said upper and lower portions. normally extending in a vertical position, the confronting edges of said upper and lower portions being reverted angularly to form substantially triangular reinforcing Vportions at the position of greatest strain on the garment with the wales of the reverted portions extending angularly relative to the wales of the main body portions to provide restraint in different directions, and means ysecuring said upper and lower reverted portions together along their edges, the reverted portions of saidrconfronting edges being turned back along a diagonal so that the bases of the triangular reinforcing portions are positioned at the point of greatest strain on the garment.

References .Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED sTATEs PATENTS 2,304,812 Goldstein Dec. 15, 1942 2,335,430 Metz Nov. 30, 1943 2,870,769 scheinberg ran. 27, 1959 FoRErGN .PATENTS 1,156,137 France Dec. 9, 1957 

